Telemetry predictive control for vehicle operations

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving, by a remote server, operating parameters regarding one or more components of a vehicle from a vehicle controller of the vehicle; retrieving, by the remote server, at least one of static information or dynamic information regarding one or more parameters ahead of the vehicle; determining, by the remote server, an adjustment for at least one of the one or more components of the vehicle based on (i) the operating parameters and (ii) the at least one of the static information or the dynamic information; and providing, by the remote server, an instruction to the vehicle controller regarding the adjustment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/767,938 entitled “Telemetry Predictive Controlfor Vehicle Operations,” filed Nov. 15, 2018, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Route look-ahead systems are used to identify static characteristicsahead of a vehicle such as road grade and speed limits to assist inadjusting operating characteristics of a vehicle to provide for variousbenefits, such as improving fuel efficiency. However, such routelook-ahead systems traditionally do not provide information regardingdynamic characteristics ahead of the vehicle, as well as, the dynamicsand operating constraints of subsystems of the vehicle are not takeninto account when adjusting the operating characteristics of the vehicleand, thereby, such systems do not provide a comprehensive solution to,for example, optimize one or more vehicle operating parameters, such asvehicle fuel efficiency.

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a method. The method includes receiving, by aremote server, operating parameters regarding one or more components ofa vehicle from a vehicle controller of the vehicle; retrieving, by theremote server, at least one of static information or dynamic informationregarding one or more parameters ahead of the vehicle, the staticinformation including road parameters, the dynamic information includingat least one of weather information or traffic information; determining,by the remote server, an adjustment for at least one of the one or morecomponents of the vehicle based on (i) the operating parameters and (ii)the at least one of the static information or the dynamic information;and providing, by the remote server, an instruction to the vehiclecontroller regarding the adjustment. The instruction includes at leastone of (i) a first command for the vehicle controller to implement theadjustment to the at least one of the one or more components of thevehicle or (ii) a second command for the vehicle controller to displaythe adjustment for the at least one of the one or more components of thevehicle.

Another embodiment relates to a control system for a vehicle. Thecontrol system includes a vehicle controller installable on the vehicleand a remote server. The vehicle controller is structured to acquire anoperating parameter regarding a component of the vehicle. The vehiclecontroller is structured to transmit the operating parameter to theremote server. The remote server is structured to acquire staticinformation regarding a road parameter ahead of the vehicle and dynamicinformation regarding at least one of weather information or trafficinformation ahead of the vehicle. The remote server is structured todetermine an adjustment for the component of the vehicle based on theoperating parameter, the static information, and the dynamicinformation. The remote server is structured to transmit an instructionto the vehicle controller regarding the adjustment. The instructionincludes at least one of (i) a first command for the vehicle controllerto implement the adjustment to the component of the vehicle or (ii) asecond command for the vehicle controller to display the adjustment forthe component of the vehicle on a display device of the vehicle.

Still another embodiment relates to a method. The method includesacquiring, by a remote server, an operating parameter regarding acomponent of a vehicle; acquiring, by the remote server, staticinformation regarding a road parameter ahead of the vehicle; acquiring,by the remote server, dynamic information regarding weather informationand traffic information; determining, by the remote server, anadjustment for the component of the vehicle based on the operatingparameter, the static information, and the dynamic information; andtransmitting, by the remote server, an instruction to the vehiclecontroller regarding the adjustment. The instruction includes at leastone of (i) a first command for the vehicle controller to implement theadjustment to the component of the vehicle or (ii) a second command forthe vehicle controller to display the adjustment for the component ofthe vehicle on a display device of the vehicle.

These and other features, together with the organization and manner ofoperation thereof, will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system, according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle having a series hybridpowertrain and a controller used with the vehicle control system of FIG.1 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle having a parallel hybridpowertrain and a controller used with the vehicle control system of FIG.1 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle having a full electricpowertrain and a controller used with the vehicle control system of FIG.1 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle having an internal combustionengine driven powertrain and a controller used with the vehicle controlsystem of FIG. 1 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a controller included with the vehiclesof FIGS. 2-5 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a server of the vehicle control systemof FIG. 1 , according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a route selection interface having aplurality of routes, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method for implementing an adjustment to acomponent of a vehicle, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method for implementing an adjustment toa component of a vehicle, according to another example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various conceptsrelated to, and implementations of, methods, apparatuses, and systemsfor predictive control of operating parameters of a vehicle. The variousconcepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may beimplemented in any number of ways, as the concepts described are notlimited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specificimplementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrativepurposes.

Referring to the Figures generally, the various embodiments disclosedherein relate to systems, apparatuses, and methods for predictivecontrol of one or more operating parameters of a vehicle based oncharacteristics and/or parameters ahead of the vehicle. Such predictivecontrol may take into account various vehicle and subsystems dynamicsand constraints. Such predictive control is applicable to any powertraintype, such as an internal combustion engine driven powertrain, a hybridpowertrain, and a pure electric powertrain, among other possibilities.The predictive control facilitates integrating future route informationto optimally control operation of the powertrain of the vehicle, whiletaking into account subsystem dynamics and constraints. Such subsystemdynamics and constraints may include aftertreatment system temperaturein a conventional powertrain (e.g., engine driven) or battery andelectric machine thermal dynamics in electrified architectures (e.g.,hybrid, pure electric, etc.). Such subsystem dynamics may be taken intoaccount to reduce energy loss due to thermal and cooling management.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle control system 10 includes one or morevehicles 20, a network 30, one or more external systems 200, and aserver 250. According to an example embodiment, the network 30wirelessly communicably couples the server 250 to the vehicles 20 andthe external systems 200. In an alternative embodiment, one or more ofthe external systems 200 are integrated into the server 250. As shown inFIG. 1 , the external systems 200 include a route look-ahead system 210,a weather system 220, and a GPS system 230. In some embodiments, theexternal systems 200 include fewer, more, or different systems. Theroute look-ahead system 210 may be structured to acquire routelook-ahead data including static information indicative of roadparameters ahead of a respective vehicle 20. The road parameters mayinclude information regarding road function class (e.g.,freeway/interstate, arterial roads, collectors, local roads,unclassified roads, etc.), speed limits, road grade, road slope, roadcurvature, bridges, fuel stations, number of lanes, and the like. Theroute look-ahead system 210 may be additionally or alternativelystructured to acquire route look-ahead data including dynamicinformation indicative of traffic information ahead of the respectivevehicle 20. The traffic information may include information regardingtraffic patterns, traffic jams, traffic speeds, construction, etc. aheadof the respective vehicle 20.

The weather system 220 may be structured to acquire weather dataincluding dynamic information indicative of weather conditions ahead ofthe respective vehicle 20. The weather conditions may includeinformation indicative of road surface conditions (e.g., wet, icy,snowy, dry, etc.) and/or weather (e.g., rain, snow, temperature,humidity, etc.) ahead of the respective vehicle 20. The GPS system 230may be structured to (i) receive information regarding a currentlocation and a desired destination of the respective vehicle and (ii)generate GPS data that facilitates determining one or more routes fromthe current location and the desired destination. In some embodiments, aroute of the vehicle 20 is predicted by extrapolating a current locationof the vehicle 20 relative a finite distance ahead of the vehicle 20(e.g., the system assumes the vehicle 20 will continue traveling on theroad the vehicle is currently on if there are no roads to turn onto forX distance).

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5 , schematic diagrams of the vehicle 20 areshown according to various example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 2 , thevehicle 20 includes a powertrain 100, vehicle subsystems 120, anoperator input/output (I/O) device 130, sensors 140 communicably coupledto one or more components of the vehicle 20, and a vehicle controller150. As shown in FIG. 3 , the vehicle 20 includes a powertrain 110 inplace of the powertrain 100 of FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the vehicle20 includes a powertrain 115 in place of the powertrain 100 of FIG. 2and the powertrain 110 of FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the vehicle 20includes a powertrain 118 in place of the powertrain 100 of FIG. 2 , thepowertrain 110 of FIG. 3 , and the powertrain 115 of FIG. 4 . Thesecomponents are described more fully herein.

According to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the powertrain 100of the vehicle 20 is structured as a series hybrid powertrain. Accordingto the example embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the powertrain 110 of thevehicle 20 is structured as a parallel hybrid powertrain. In someembodiments, the powertrain 100 and/or the powertrain 110 of the vehicle20 are structured as another type of hybrid powertrain. According to theexample embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the powertrain 115 of the vehicle20 is structured as a full electric powertrain. According to the exampleembodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the powertrain 118 is structured as aconventional, non-hybrid, non-electric powertrain (i.e., an internalcombustion engine driven powertrain). The vehicle 20 may be an on-roador an off-road vehicle including, but not limited to, line-haul trucks,mid-range trucks (e.g., pick-up truck), cars (e.g., sedans, hatchbacks,coupes, etc.), buses, vans, refuse vehicles, fire trucks, concretetrucks, delivery trucks, and any other type of vehicle. Thus, thepresent disclosure is applicable with a wide variety of implementations.

Components of the vehicle 20 may communicate with each other or foreigncomponents using any type and any number of wired or wirelessconnections. For example, a wired connection may include a serial cable,a fiber optic cable, a CAT5 cable, or any other form of wiredconnection. Wireless connections may include the Internet, Wi-Fi,cellular, radio, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. In one embodiment, a controllerarea network (CAN) bus provides the exchange of signals, information,and/or data. The CAN bus includes any number of wired and wirelessconnections. Because the vehicle controller 150 is communicably coupledto the systems and components in the vehicle 20, the vehicle controller150 is structured to receive data regarding one or more of thecomponents shown in FIGS. 2-5 . For example, the data may includeoperation data regarding the operating conditions of the powertrain 100,the powertrain 110, the powertrain 115, the powertrain 118, and/or othercomponents (e.g., a battery system, a motor, a generator, a regenerativebraking system, an engine, an exhaust aftertreatment system, etc.)acquired by one or more sensors, such as sensors 140. As anotherexample, the data may include an input received by the operator I/Odevice 130. The vehicle controller 150 may determine how to control thepowertrain 100, the powertrain 110, the powertrain 115, and/or thepowertrain 118 at least in part based on the data.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the powertrain 100 (e.g., a series hybridpowertrain, etc.) includes an engine 101, a transmission 102, adriveshaft 103, a differential 104, a final drive 105, a firstelectromagnetic device 106 (e.g., a generator, a motor-generator, etc.),a second electromagnetic device 108 (e.g., a motor, a motor-generator,etc.), and an energy storage device 109. The engine 101 may bestructured as any engine type, including a spark-ignition internalcombustion engine, a compression-ignition internal combustion engine,and/or a fuel cell, among other alternatives. The engine 101 may bepowered by any fuel type (e.g., diesel, ethanol, gasoline, natural gas,propane, hydrogen, etc.). Similarly, the transmission 102 may bestructured as any type of transmission, such as a continuous variabletransmission, a manual transmission, an automatic transmission, anautomatic-manual transmission, a dual clutch transmission, and so on.

Accordingly, as transmissions vary from geared to continuousconfigurations (e.g., continuous variable transmission), thetransmission 102 may include a variety of settings (gears, for a gearedtransmission) that affect different output speeds based on an inputspeed received thereby (e.g., from the second electromagnetic device108, etc.). Like the engine 101 and the transmission 102, the driveshaft103, the differential 104, and/or the final drive 105 may be structuredin any configuration dependent on the application (e.g., the final drive105 is structured as wheels in an automotive application and a propellerin a boat application, etc.). Further, the driveshaft 103 may bestructured as any type of driveshaft including, but not limited to, aone-piece, two-piece, and a slip-in-tube driveshaft based on theapplication.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the engine 101 and the first electromagnetic device106 are mechanically coupled together (e.g., via a shaft, a gear box,etc.) to form a genset 107. In some embodiments, the firstelectromagnetic device 106 is a single device having both generating andmotoring capabilities. In some embodiments, the first electromagneticdevice 106 has only generating capabilities. According to an exampleembodiment, the engine 101 is structured to drive the firstelectromagnetic device 106 to generate electrical energy. As shown inFIG. 2 , the first electromagnetic device 106 is electrically coupled tothe energy storage device 109 such that the first electromagnetic device106 may provide energy generated thereby to the energy storage device109 for storage. In some embodiments, the first electromagnetic device106 is structured to receive stored electrical energy from the energystorage device 109 to facilitate operation thereof. By way of example,the first electromagnetic device 106 may receive stored electricalenergy from the energy storage device 109 to facilitate starting theengine 101.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the second electromagnetic device 108 ismechanically coupled to the transmission 102 (e.g., via a shaft, a gearbox, etc.). In an alternative embodiment, the powertrain 100 does notinclude the transmission 102 and the second electromagnetic device 108is directly coupled to the driveshaft 103 or the differential 104. Insome embodiments, the second electromagnetic device 108 is a singledevice having both generating and motoring capabilities. In someembodiments, the second electromagnetic device 108 has only motoringcapabilities. As shown in FIG. 2 , the second electromagnetic device 108is electrically coupled to the first electromagnetic device 106 and theenergy storage device 109 such that the second electromagnetic device108 may receive energy stored by the energy storage device 109 and/orgenerated by the first electromagnetic device 106 to facilitateoperation thereof. By way of example, the second electromagnetic device108 may receive stored electrical energy from the energy storage device109 and/or generated electrical energy from the first electromagneticdevice 106 to facilitate providing a mechanical output to thetransmission 102. In some embodiments, the second electromagnetic device108 is structured to generate electrical energy for storage in theenergy storage device 109. By way of example, the second electromagneticdevice 108 may be structured to utilize a negative torque supply toperform energy regeneration (e.g., when the torque demand therefrom iszero, during engine braking, while the vehicle 20 is coasting down ahill, etc.).

According to an example embodiment, the energy storage device 109includes one or more batteries (e.g., high voltage batteries, alead-acid batteries, a lithium-ion batteries, lithium iron phosphatebatteries, etc.), one or more capacitors (e.g., super capacitors, etc.),and/or any other energy storage devices, or combination thereof. Asshown in FIG. 2 , the energy storage device 109 is electrically coupledto the first electromagnetic device 106 and the second electromagneticdevice 108. In some embodiments, the energy storage device 109, thefirst electromagnetic device 106, and/or the second electromagneticdevice 108 are electrically coupled to one or more of the vehiclesubsystems 120 (e.g., a regenerative braking system,electrically-powered vehicle accessories, etc.). According to an exampleembodiment, the energy storage device 109 is structured to storeelectrical energy (i) received from a charging station (e.g., a vehiclecharging station, etc.), (ii) generated by the first electromagneticdevice 106, (iii) generated by the second electromagnetic device 108,and/or (iv) generated by a regenerative braking system. The energystorage device 109 may be structured to provide the stored electricalenergy to (i) the vehicle subsystems 120 to operate various electricalbased components of the vehicle 20 (e.g., while the engine 101 isrunning, while the engine 101 is off, etc.), (ii) the firstelectromagnetic device 106 to start the engine 101 (e.g., in response toa restart command after a stop-start feature turns off the engine 101,when an operator keys on the engine 101, etc.), and/or (iii) the secondelectromagnetic device 108 to facilitate providing a mechanical outputto the transmission 102 (e.g., to drive the vehicle 20, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the powertrain 110 (e.g., a parallel hybridpowertrain, etc.) includes the engine 101, the transmission 102, thedriveshaft 103, the differential 104, the final drive 105, the energystorage device 109, and an electromagnetic device 112 (e.g., amotor-generator, etc.). The powertrain 110 optionally includes a clutch111 positioned between the engine 101 and the electromagnetic device112. The clutch 111 is structured to facilitate selectively decouplingthe engine 101 from the electromagnetic device 112. In some embodiments,the powertrain 100 of FIG. 2 includes a clutch positioned to selectivelymechanically couple the first electromagnetic device 106 with the secondelectromagnetic device 108 and/or the transmission 102. In such anembodiment, the powertrain 100 having a clutch may be selectivelyreconfigurable between a series hybrid powertrain and a parallel hybridpowertrain.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the engine 101 and the electromagnetic device 112are mechanically coupled together (e.g., via a shaft, a gear box, theclutch 111, etc.). In some embodiments, the electromagnetic device 112is a single device having both generating and motoring capabilities.According to an example embodiment, the engine 101 is structured todrive the electromagnetic device 112 to generate electrical energy. Asshown in FIG. 2 , the electromagnetic device 112 is electrically coupledto the energy storage device 109 such that the electromagnetic device112 may provide energy generated thereby to the energy storage device109 for storage. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic device 112 isstructured to receive stored electrical energy from the energy storagedevice 109 to facilitate operation thereof. By way of example, theelectromagnetic device 112 may receive stored electrical energy from theenergy storage device 109 to facilitate starting the engine 101.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the electromagnetic device 112 is mechanicallycoupled to the transmission 102 (e.g., via a shaft, a gear box, etc.).In an alternative embodiment, the powertrain 110 does not include thetransmission 102 and the electromagnetic device 112 is directly coupledto the driveshaft 103 or the differential 104. The electromagneticdevice 112 may receive energy stored by the energy storage device 109and/or mechanical energy from the engine 101 to facilitate providing amechanical output to the transmission 102. In some embodiments, theelectromagnetic device 112 is structured to generate electrical energyfor storage in the energy storage device 109 in response to receiving amechanical input from the transmission 102. By way of example, theelectromagnetic device 112 may be structured to utilize a negativetorque supply to perform energy regeneration (e.g., when the torquedemand therefrom is zero, during engine braking, while the vehicle 20 iscoasting down a hill, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the energy storage device 109 is electricallycoupled to the electromagnetic device 112. In some embodiments, theenergy storage device 109 and/or the electromagnetic device 112 areelectrically coupled to one or more of the vehicle subsystems 120 (e.g.,a regenerative braking system, electrically-powered vehicle accessories,etc.). According to an example embodiment, the energy storage device 109is structured to store electrical energy (i) received from a chargingstation (e.g., a vehicle charging station, etc.), (ii) generated by theelectromagnetic device 112, and/or (iii) generated by a regenerativebraking system. The energy storage device 109 may be structured toprovide the stored electrical energy to (i) the vehicle subsystems 120to operate various electrical based components of the vehicle 20 (e.g.,while the engine 101 is running, while the engine 101 is off, etc.),(ii) the electromagnetic device 112 to start the engine 101 (e.g., inresponse to a restart command after a stop-start feature turns off theengine 101, when an operator keys on the engine 101, etc.), and/or (iii)the electromagnetic device 112 to facilitate providing a mechanicaloutput to the transmission 102 (e.g., to drive the vehicle 20, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4 , the powertrain 115 (e.g., a full electricpowertrain, etc.) includes the transmission 102, the driveshaft 103, thedifferential 104, the final drive 105, the energy storage device 109,and the electromagnetic device 112. In some embodiments, the powertrain115 does not include the transmission 102. As shown in FIG. 5 , thepowertrain 118 (e.g., an internal combustion engine driven powertrain,etc.) includes the engine 101, the transmission 102, the driveshaft 103,the differential 104, the final drive 105.

In the powertrain 118, the engine 101 receives a chemical energy input(e.g., a fuel such as gasoline, diesel, etc.) and combusts the fuel togenerate mechanical energy, in the form of a rotating crankshaft. Thetransmission 102 receives the rotating crankshaft and manipulates thespeed of the crankshaft (e.g., the engine revolutions-per-minute (RPM),etc.) to affect a desired driveshaft speed. The rotating driveshaft 103is received by the differential 104, which provides the rotation energyof the driveshaft 103 to the final drive 105. The final drive 105 thenpropels or moves the vehicle 20.

Referring again to FIGS. 2-5 , the vehicle 20 includes the vehiclesubsystems 120. In some embodiments, the vehicle subsystems 120 mayinclude a regenerative braking system. The regenerative braking systemmay include various components structured to generate electricity fromvehicle braking events to be stored by the energy storage device 109 forfuture use (e.g., by the first electromagnetic device 106, by the secondelectromagnetic device 108, by the electromagnetic device 112, by theelectrical vehicle components, etc.). The vehicle subsystems 120 mayinclude other components including mechanically driven or electricallydriven vehicle components (e.g., HVAC system, lights, pumps, fans,etc.). The vehicle subsystems 120 may also include an exhaustaftertreatment system having components used to reduce exhaustemissions, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, adiesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a diesel particulate filter (DPF), adiesel exhaust fluid (DEF) doser with a supply of diesel exhaust fluid,a plurality of sensors for monitoring the aftertreatment system (e.g., anitrogen oxide (NOx) sensor, temperature sensors, etc.), and/or stillother components.

The vehicle subsystems 120 may include one or more electrically-poweredaccessories and/or engine-drive accessories. Electrically-poweredaccessories may receive power from the energy storage device 109, thefirst electromagnetic device 106, the second electromagnetic device 108,and/or the electromagnetic device 112 to facilitate operation thereof.Being electrically-powered, the electrically-powered accessories may beable to be driven largely independent of the engine 101 of the vehicle20 (e.g., not driven off of a belt coupled to the engine 101). Theelectrically-powered accessories may include, but are not limited to,air compressors (e.g., for pneumatic devices, etc.), air conditioningsystems, power steering pumps, engine coolant pumps, fans, and/or anyother electrically-powered vehicle accessories.

The operator I/O device 130 may enable an operator of the vehicle 20 (orpassenger) to communicate with the vehicle 20 and the vehicle controller150. By way of example, the operator I/O device 130 may include, but isnot limited to, an interactive display, a touchscreen device, one ormore buttons and switches, voice command receivers, and the like. In oneembodiment, the operator I/O device 130 includes a brake pedal or abrake lever, an accelerator pedal, and/or an accelerator throttle.

The sensors 140 may include sensors positioned and/or structured tomonitor operating characteristics or parameters of various components ofthe vehicle 20. By way of example, the sensors 140 may include a sensorstructured to facilitate monitoring the state of charge (“SOC”), thestate of health (“SOH”), temperature, and/or the power capacity of theenergy storage device 109, and/or characteristics of the flow ofelectricity into and/or out of the energy storage device 109 (e.g.,current, voltage, power, etc.). The sensors 140 may additionally oralternatively include a position sensor structured to facilitatemonitoring the position of the accelerator (e.g., accelerator pedal,accelerator throttle, etc.) and/or the brake (e.g., brake pedal, brakelever, etc.) of the vehicle 20. The sensors 140 may additionally oralternatively include a speed sensor structured to facilitate monitoringthe speed of the vehicle 20 and/or the primary driver (e.g., the engine101, the first electromagnetic device 106, the second electromagneticdevice 108, the electromagnetic device 112, etc.). The sensors 140 mayadditionally or alternatively include aftertreatment sensors (e.g., NOxsensors, temperature sensors, etc.) structured to facilitate monitoringthe temperature of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, thetemperature of the exhaust gases, and/or the composition of the exhaustgasses. The sensors 140 may additionally or alternatively includessensors structured to facilitate monitoring a torque and/or power outputof the primary driver (e.g., the engine 101, the first electromagneticdevice 106, the second electromagnetic device 108, the electromagneticdevice 112, etc.). The sensors 140 may additionally or alternativelyincludes sensors structured to facilitate monitoring a currenttransmission gear selection of the transmission 102.

As the components of FIGS. 2-5 are shown to be embodied in the vehicle20, the vehicle controller 150 may be structured as one or moreelectronic control units (ECUs). As such, the vehicle controller 150 maybe separate from or included with at least one of a transmission controlunit, an exhaust aftertreatment control unit, a powertrain controlmodule, an engine control module, etc. The function and structure of thevehicle controller 150 is described in greater detail with regards toFIG. 6 .

Referring now to FIG. 6 , a schematic diagram of the vehicle controller150 of the vehicle 20 of FIGS. 1-5 and 7 is shown according to anexample embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6 , the vehicle controller 150includes a processing circuit 151 having a processor 152 and a memory154; a communications interface 153; a sensor circuit 155; acommunication circuit 156; an input circuit 157; and a powertraincircuit 158. As described herein, the vehicle controller 150 isstructured to facilitate (i) collecting and transmitting data to theserver 250 regarding operation of the vehicle 20 and (ii) receiveadjustment commands from the server 250 to adjust the operation of thevehicle 20 (e.g., speed, torque, gear selection, etc.) to provide forenhanced driving (e.g., increased fuel efficiency, etc.). As describedin more detail herein, the server 250 performs all of the operatingadjustment analysis such that the bulk of the computation forcontrolling the vehicle 20 is performed remotely (e.g., off boardcomputation to reduce local computation demands, etc.). However, inalternative embodiments, the vehicle controller 150 performs some or allof the tasks of the server 250 locally such that the server 250 thefunctions of the server 250 described herein are limited/reduced or theserver 250 may not be included in the vehicle control system 10.

In one configuration, the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit156, the input circuit 157, and the powertrain circuit 158 are embodiedas machine or computer-readable media that is executable by a processor,such as the processor 152. As described herein and amongst other uses,the machine-readable media facilitates performance of certain operationsto enable reception and transmission of data. For example, themachine-readable media may provide an instruction (e.g., command, etc.)to, e.g., acquire data. In this regard, the machine-readable media mayinclude programmable logic that defines the frequency of acquisition ofthe data (or, transmission of the data). Thus, the computer readablemedia may include code, which may be written in any programming languageincluding, but not limited to, Java or the like and any conventionalprocedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming languageor similar programming languages. The computer readable program code maybe executed on one processor or multiple remote processors. In thelatter scenario, the remote processors may be connected to each otherthrough any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

In another configuration, the sensor circuit 155, the communicationcircuit 156, the input circuit 157, and the powertrain circuit 158 areembodied as hardware units, such as electronic control units. As such,the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158 may be embodied as one or morecircuitry components including, but not limited to, processingcircuitry, network interfaces, peripheral devices, input devices, outputdevices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the sensor circuit 155, thecommunication circuit 156, the input circuit 157, and/or the powertraincircuit 158 may take the form of one or more analog circuits, electroniccircuits (e.g., integrated circuits (IC), discrete circuits, system on achip (SOCs) circuits, microcontrollers, etc.), telecommunicationcircuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of “circuit.” In thisregard, the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the inputcircuit 157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158 may include any type ofcomponent for accomplishing or facilitating achievement of theoperations described herein. For example, a circuit as described hereinmay include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR,OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers,capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, and so on. Thus, the sensorcircuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit 157,and/or the powertrain circuit 158 may also include programmable hardwaredevices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable arraylogic, programmable logic devices or the like. In this regard, thesensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158 may include one or more memorydevices for storing instructions that are executable by the processor(s)of the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the inputcircuit 157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158. The one or more memorydevices and processor(s) may have the same definition as provided belowwith respect to the memory 154 and the processor 152. Thus, in thishardware unit configuration, the sensor circuit 155, the communicationcircuit 156, the input circuit 157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158may be geographically dispersed throughout separate locations in thevehicle 20 (e.g., separate control units, etc.). Alternatively and asshown, the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the inputcircuit 157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158 may be embodied in orwithin a single unit/housing, which is shown as the vehicle controller150.

In the example shown, the vehicle controller 150 includes the processingcircuit 151 having the processor 152 and the memory 154. The processingcircuit 151 may be structured or configured to execute or implement theinstructions, commands, and/or control processes described herein withrespect to the sensor circuit 155, the communication circuit 156, theinput circuit 157, and/or the powertrain circuit 158. Thus, the depictedconfiguration represents the aforementioned arrangement where the sensorcircuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit 157,and/or the powertrain circuit 158 are embodied as machine orcomputer-readable media. However, as mentioned above, this illustrationis not meant to be limiting as the present disclosure contemplates otherembodiments such as the aforementioned embodiment where the sensorcircuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit 157,and/or the powertrain circuit 158, or at least one circuit of the sensorcircuit 155, the communication circuit 156, the input circuit 157,and/or the powertrain circuit 158, are configured as a hardware unit.All such combinations and variations are intended to fall within thescope of the present disclosure.

The processor 152 may be implemented as one or more general-purposeprocessors, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one ormore field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a digital signal processor(DSP), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronicprocessing components. In some embodiments, the one or more processorsmay be shared by multiple circuits (e.g., the sensor circuit 155, thecommunication circuit 156, the input circuit 157, and/or the powertraincircuit 158 may comprise or otherwise share the same processor which, insome example embodiments, may execute instructions stored, or otherwiseaccessed, via different areas of memory). Alternatively or additionally,the one or more processors may be structured to perform or otherwiseexecute certain operations independent of one or more co-processors. Inother example embodiments, two or more processors may be coupled via abus to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threadedinstruction execution. All such variations are intended to fall withinthe scope of the present disclosure. The memory 154 (e.g., RAM, ROM,Flash Memory, hard disk storage, etc.) may store data and/or computercode for facilitating the various processes described herein. The memory154 may be communicably connected to the processor 152 to providecomputer code or instructions to the processor 152 for executing atleast some of the processes described herein. Moreover, the memory 154may be or include tangible, non-transient volatile memory ornon-volatile memory. Accordingly, the memory 154 may include databasecomponents, object code components, script components, or any other typeof information structure for supporting the various activities andinformation structures described herein.

The communications interface 153 may include any number and type ofwired or wireless interfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters,receivers, transceivers, wire terminals, etc.) for conducting datacommunications with various systems, devices, or networks. For example,the communications interface 153 may include an Ethernet card and portfor sending and receiving data via an Ethernet-based communicationsnetwork and/or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating via a wirelesscommunications network. The communications interface 153 may bestructured to communicate via local area networks or wide area networks(e.g., the Internet, etc.) and may use a variety of communicationsprotocols (e.g., IP, LON, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, cellular, near fieldcommunication, etc.).

The communications interface 153 of the vehicle controller 150 mayfacilitate communication between and among the vehicle controller 150,one or more components of the vehicle 20 (e.g., components of thepowertrain 100, components of the powertrain 110, components of thepowertrain 115, components of the powertrain 118, the vehicle subsystems120, the operator I/O device 130, the sensors 140, etc.), and/or theserver 250. In some embodiments, the communications interface 153additionally or alternatively facilitates communication with one or moreof the external systems 200. Communication between and among the vehiclecontroller 150, the components of the vehicle 20, the external systems200, and/or the server 250 may be via any number of wired or wirelessconnections (e.g., any standard under IEEE 802, etc.). For example, awired connection may include a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a CAT5cable, or any other form of wired connection. In comparison, a wirelessconnection may include the Internet, Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, ZigBee,radio, etc. In one embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) busprovides the exchange of signals, information, and/or data. The CAN buscan include any number of wired and wireless connections that providethe exchange of signals, information, and/or data. The CAN bus mayinclude a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), or theconnection may be made to an external computer (for example, through theInternet using an Internet Service Provider).

The sensor circuit 155 is structured to receive or acquire operatingdata from the sensors 140 regarding operating characteristics orparameters of one or more components of the vehicle 20. By way ofexample, the operating parameters may include an engine speed, an enginetorque, a vehicle speed, a transmission gear selection, an exhaustaftertreatment system temperature, and/or a battery system temperature,among other possible parameters.

The communication circuit 156 is structured to facilitate controllingcommunication between the vehicle controller 150 and the server 250(and/or the external systems 200) via the communications interface 153.By way of example, the communication circuit 156 may be structured toprovide the operating data to the server 250. By way of another example,the communication circuit 156 may be structured to receive a firstcommand from the server 250 regarding an adjustment to one or morecomponents of the vehicle 20 for the vehicle controller 150 toimplement. The adjustment made in response to the first command may beable to be manually overridden by the user (e.g., via the operator I/Odevice 130, etc.). By way of another example, the communication circuit156 may be structured to receive a second command from the server 250 todisplay an adjustment for one or more components of the vehicle 20 forthe user to (i) manually implement or (ii) provide approval for beforethe vehicle controller 150 implements the adjustment. In someembodiments, the communication circuit 156 is structured to facilitatecommunication with the route look-ahead system 210, the weather system220, and/or the GPS system 230 (e.g., in embodiments where the vehiclecontroller 150 performs one or more functions of the server 250 locally,etc.).

The input circuit 157 is structured to receive an input from an operatorof the vehicle 20 via the operator I/O device 130. By way of example,the input may include a current location and/or a desired destinationfor the vehicle 20 (e.g., for use by the server 250, the routelook-ahead system 210, the weather system 220, the GPS system 230,etc.). By way of another example, the input may include a selection of aroute of travel for the vehicle 20 based on one or more possible routes.By way of yet another example, the input may include an approval of anadjustment recommended by the server 250 (e.g., as part of the secondcommand, etc.).

The powertrain circuit 158 is structured to control the one or morecomponents (e.g., the engine 101, the transmission 102, the firstelectromagnetic device 106, the second electromagnetic device 108, theelectromagnetic device 112, etc.) of a powertrain (e.g., the powertrain100, the powertrain 110, the powertrain 115, the powertrain 118, etc.)of the vehicle 20 according to the first command and/or the secondcommand provided by the server 250 to implement the adjustment to theone or more components of the vehicle 20 recommended by the server 250.Such adjustment, as described in more detail herein, improves theoperation of the vehicle 20 in some manner (e.g., improving fuelefficiency relative to a baseline target or value for fuel efficiency,etc.) based on static information and/or dynamic information regardingone or more parameters ahead of the vehicle 20.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a schematic diagram of the server 250 of FIGS.1 and 6 is shown according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the server 250 includes a processing circuit 251 having a processor252 and a memory 254; a communications interface 253; a vehicle circuit255; a route look-ahead circuit 256, a weather circuit 257; anadjustment circuit 258, and a route selection circuit 259. As describedin more detail herein, the server 250 is structured to determineadjustments for one or more components of the vehicle 20 based on (i)operating parameters of one or more components of the vehicle 20 and(ii) static information and/or dynamic information regarding parametersahead of the vehicle 20.

In one configuration, the vehicle circuit 255, the route look-aheadcircuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit 258, andthe route selection circuit 259 are embodied as machine orcomputer-readable media that is executable by a processor, such as theprocessor 252. As described herein and amongst other uses, themachine-readable media facilitates performance of certain operations toenable reception and transmission of data. For example, themachine-readable media may provide an instruction (e.g., command, etc.)to, e.g., acquire data. In this regard, the machine-readable media mayinclude programmable logic that defines the frequency of acquisition ofthe data (or, transmission of the data). Thus, the computer readablemedia may include code, which may be written in any programming languageincluding, but not limited to, Java or the like and any conventionalprocedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming languageor similar programming languages. The computer readable program code maybe executed on one processor or multiple remote processors. In thelatter scenario, the remote processors may be connected to each otherthrough any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

In another configuration, the vehicle circuit 255, the route look-aheadcircuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit 258, andthe route selection circuit 259 are embodied as hardware units, such aselectronic control units. As such, the vehicle circuit 255, the routelook-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 may be embodied as one ormore circuitry components including, but not limited to, processingcircuitry, network interfaces, peripheral devices, input devices, outputdevices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the vehicle circuit 255, theroute look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustmentcircuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 may take the form ofone or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integratedcircuits (IC), discrete circuits, system on a chip (SOCs) circuits,microcontrollers, etc.), telecommunication circuits, hybrid circuits,and any other type of “circuit.” In this regard, the vehicle circuit255, the route look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, theadjustment circuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 mayinclude any type of component for accomplishing or facilitatingachievement of the operations described herein. For example, a circuitas described herein may include one or more transistors, logic gates(e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors,multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, and soon. Thus, the vehicle circuit 255, the route look-ahead circuit 256, theweather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit 258, and/or the routeselection circuit 259 may also include programmable hardware devicessuch as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic,programmable logic devices or the like. In this regard, the vehiclecircuit 255, the route look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257,the adjustment circuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 mayinclude one or more memory devices for storing instructions that areexecutable by the processor(s) of the vehicle circuit 255, the routelook-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit258, and/or the route selection circuit 259. The one or more memorydevices and processor(s) may have the same definition as provided belowwith respect to the memory 254 and the processor 252. Thus, in thishardware unit configuration, the vehicle circuit 255, the routelook-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 may be geographicallydispersed throughout separate locations in the server 250 (e.g.,separate control units, etc.). Alternatively and as shown, the vehiclecircuit 255, the route look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257,the adjustment circuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 maybe embodied in or within a single unit/housing, which is shown as theserver 250.

In the example shown, the server 250 includes the processing circuit 251having the processor 252 and the memory 254. The processing circuit 251may be structured or configured to execute or implement theinstructions, commands, and/or control processes described herein withrespect to the vehicle circuit 255, the route look-ahead circuit 256,the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit 258, and/or the routeselection circuit 259. Thus, the depicted configuration represents theaforementioned arrangement where the vehicle circuit 255, the routelook-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 are embodied as machine orcomputer-readable media. However, as mentioned above, this illustrationis not meant to be limiting as the present disclosure contemplates otherembodiments such as the aforementioned embodiment where the vehiclecircuit 255, the route look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257,the adjustment circuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259, orat least one circuit of the vehicle circuit 255, the route look-aheadcircuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustment circuit 258, and/orthe route selection circuit 259, are configured as a hardware unit. Allsuch combinations and variations are intended to fall within the scopeof the present disclosure.

The processor 252 may be implemented as one or more general-purposeprocessors, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one ormore field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a digital signal processor(DSP), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronicprocessing components. In some embodiments, the one or more processorsmay be shared by multiple circuits (e.g., the vehicle circuit 255, theroute look-ahead circuit 256, the weather circuit 257, the adjustmentcircuit 258, and/or the route selection circuit 259 may comprise orotherwise share the same processor which, in some example embodiments,may execute instructions stored, or otherwise accessed, via differentareas of memory). Alternatively or additionally, the one or moreprocessors may be structured to perform or otherwise execute certainoperations independent of one or more co-processors. In other exampleembodiments, two or more processors may be coupled via a bus to enableindependent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threaded instructionexecution. All such variations are intended to fall within the scope ofthe present disclosure. The memory 254 (e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash Memory,hard disk storage, etc.) may store data and/or computer code forfacilitating the various processes described herein. The memory 254 maybe communicably connected to the processor 252 to provide computer codeor instructions to the processor 252 for executing at least some of theprocesses described herein. Moreover, the memory 254 may be or includetangible, non-transient volatile memory or non-volatile memory.Accordingly, the memory 254 may include database components, object codecomponents, script components, or any other type of informationstructure for supporting the various activities and informationstructures described herein.

The communications interface 253 may include wired or wirelessinterfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers,transceivers, wire terminals, etc.) for conducting data communicationswith various systems, devices, or networks. For example, thecommunications interface 253 may include an Ethernet card and port forsending and receiving data via an Ethernet-based communications networkand/or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating via a wirelesscommunications network. The communications interface 253 may bestructured to communicate via local area networks or wide area networks(e.g., the Internet, etc.) and may use a variety of communicationsprotocols (e.g., IP, LON, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, cellular, near fieldcommunication, etc.).

The communications interface 253 of the server 250 may facilitatecommunication between and among the server 250, one or more vehiclecontrollers 150, the route look-ahead system 210, the weather system220, and/or the GPS system 230. Communication between and among theserver 250, the one or more vehicle controllers 150, the routelook-ahead system 210, the weather system 220, and/or the GPS system 230may be via any number of wired or wireless connections (e.g., anystandard under IEEE 802, etc.). For example, a wired connection mayinclude a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a CAT5 cable, or any otherform of wired connection. In comparison, a wireless connection mayinclude the Internet, Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, etc. Inone embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) bus provides theexchange of signals, information, and/or data. The CAN bus can includeany number of wired and wireless connections that provide the exchangeof signals, information, and/or data. The CAN bus may include a localarea network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection maybe made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet usingan Internet Service Provider).

The vehicle circuit 255 is structured to facilitate controllingcommunication between the server 250 and one or more of the vehiclecontrollers 150 (e.g., a plurality of vehicle controllers 150 associatedwith the vehicles 20 in a respective fleet, etc.) via the communicationsinterface 253. By way of example, the vehicle circuit 255 may bestructured to receive the operating data from the vehicle controllers150 indicative of operating parameters of one or more components of oneor more of the vehicles 20 (e.g., an engine speed, an engine torque, avehicle speed, a transmission gear selection, an exhaust aftertreatmentsystem temperature, a battery system temperature, etc. of a respectivevehicle 20) and provide adjustment commands (e.g., the first commands,the second commands, etc.) to respective vehicle controllers 150.

The route look-ahead circuit 256 is structured to facilitate controllingcommunication between the server 250 and the route look-ahead system 210via the communications interface 253. By way of example, the vehiclecircuit 255 may be structured to receive or retrieve the routelook-ahead data (e.g., the static information indicative of roadparameters, dynamic information indicative of traffic conditions, etc.ahead of a respective vehicle 20) from the route look-ahead system 210.The weather circuit 257 is structured to facilitate controllingcommunication between the server 250 and the weather system 220 via thecommunications interface 253. By way of example, the weather circuit 257may be structured to receive or retrieve the weather data (e.g., dynamicinformation indicative of weather conditions ahead of a respectivevehicle 20, etc.) from the weather system 220.

The adjustment circuit 258 is structured to interpret (i) the operatingdata received from a respective vehicle 20 and (ii) the route look-aheaddata (e.g., road parameters, traffic information, etc.) received fromthe route look-ahead system 210 for the respective vehicle 20 and/or theweather data received from the weather system 220 for the respectivevehicle 20 to determine an adjustment for the operating parameters ofone or more components of the respective vehicle 20. The adjustmentcircuit 258 is further structured to generate an instruction regardingan adjustment command (e.g., the first command, the second command,etc.) including the adjustment of the operating parameters for one ormore components of the respective vehicle 20 to be sent to the vehiclecontroller 150 thereof.

According to an example embodiment, the adjustment determined by theadjustment circuit 258 includes an adjustment to an operating setpointof one or more components of the respective vehicle 20 based on the roadparameters, the traffic characteristics, and/or the weathercharacteristics ahead of the respective vehicle 20 to improve theexpected fuel efficiency of the respective vehicle 20 relative tooperation of the respective vehicle 20 if the operating setpoint of theone or more components were not changed (e.g., altered, modified,updated, improved, modulated, etc.). The adjustment circuit 258 maythereby be structured to optimize control of the powertrain (e.g., thepowertrain 100, the powertrain 110, the powertrain 115, the powertrain118, etc.) of the respective vehicle 20 in real-time based on expectedconditions ahead of the respective vehicle 20 (e.g., traffic, weather,road parameters, etc.).

As an example, the traffic information retrieved by the route look-aheadsystem 210 may indicate that there is a traffic jam or that trafficslows ahead of the respective vehicle 20. Rather than maintaining thecurrent speed of the respective vehicle 20 and then encountering thetraffic and partaking in stop-and-go traffic or operating at a lessefficient operating setpoint, which is fuel inefficient, the adjustmentcircuit 258 may selectively limit or recommend reducing vehicle speedbased on the traffic information to minimize the amount of time therespective vehicle 20 is engaged in stop-and-go traffic or operating atthe less efficient operating setpoint to increase fuel efficiencywithout increasing total trip time.

As another example, the road parameters retrieved by the routelook-ahead system 210 may indicate a future grade change, a future speedlimit change, a future road curvature, etc. The adjustment circuit 258may be structured to determine the speed and/or transmission gear thatare optimal to traverse the upcoming road parameters at a desiredcharacteristic (e.g., miles-per-gallon more than a threshold, etc.).Such adjustment may be transmitted to the respective vehicle 20 forimplementation. Further, the adjustment circuit 258 may be structured toidentify an opportunistic time to perform energy intensive tasks (e.g.,charging air brakes, etc.) based on the road parameters ahead of therespective vehicle 20 that minimizes energy consumption (e.g., whengoing downhill, etc.).

As yet another example, the road parameters retrieved by the routelook-ahead system 210 (e.g., a downhill grade, etc.) may indicate apotential for the temperature of (i) an exhaust aftertreatment systemand/or (ii) a battery system of the respective vehicle 20 to falloutside of a target temperature range. The adjustment circuit 258 may bestructured to determine an adjustment that includes an operatingsetpoint for one or more of the components of the respective vehicle 20to maintain the temperature thereof within the target temperature range.

By way of example, a road grade may force the engine to operate on maxtorque curve or to cut the fuel during downhill, or traffic in carfollowing situations. Such fueling cut events may lead to cooling of theexhaust aftertreatment system (e.g., SCR bed temperature, etc.).Depending on the exhaust aftertreatment system temperature before thefuel cut event and the duration of the fuel cut event, the exhaustaftertreatment system temperature may drop outside of a desiredtemperature range. Such a drop in operating temperature may lead to (i)system out NOx and NH₃ spikes due to the low exhaust aftertreatmentsystem temperature and (ii) low conversion efficiency when subsequentfueling events occur. Such low temperature and low conversion efficiencymay force the engine to operate in a thermal management mode to increasethe temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system (e.g., to improveefficacy of the exhaust aftertreatment system, etc.). The increase inthe accumulated system out NOx and the possible operation in thermalmanagement mode may force the engine to operate in a less efficientregion at normal operating conditions that causes lower brake-specificfuel consumption (BSFC) and higher fuel consumption. Therefore, theknowledge of future engine loading and, specifically, future fuel cutevents and the durations associated therewith may be used to optimizeengine operation. Specifically, the adjustment circuit 258 may bestructured to identify events that may lead the exhaust aftertreatmentsystem to operate outside of a desired temperature operating range andpreemptively increase the temperature of the exhaust aftertreatmentsystem. While such preemptive increase in temperature may temporarilydecrease fuel efficiency, such decrease in fuel efficiency may berelatively less than the decrease in fuel efficiency if the temperaturewere to drop outside of the desired temperature operating range andrequire the engine to operate in the thermal management mode. The fuelefficiency, in the aggregate, may thereby be higher than if thepreemptive increase in temperature were not conducted.

The route selection circuit 259 is structured to facilitate controllingcommunication between the server 250, the GPS system 230, and thevehicle controllers 150 via the communications interface 253. By way ofexample, the route selection circuit 259 may be structured to receive acurrent location and/or a desired destination for a respective vehicle20 from the operator thereof via the operator I/O device 130. The routeselection circuit 259 may then be structured to provide the currentlocation and/or the desired destination to the GPS system 230. In someembodiments, the route selection circuit 259 and/or the GPS system 230automatically determine the current location of the respective vehicle20 (i.e., without input from the operator of the respective vehicle 20).

The route selection circuit 259 is structured to receive or retrieve theGPS data from the GPS system 230 regarding one or more possible routesbetween the current location and the desired location. According to theexample embodiment shown in FIG. 8 , the route selection circuit 259 isstructured to receive GPS data indicative of one or more possibleroutes, shown as first route 310, second route 320, and third route 330,between a current location 302 and a desired destination 304 of therespective vehicle 20. In other embodiments, a different number ofroutes are provided between the current location 302 and the desireddestination 304 (e.g., one, two, four, etc. routes).

According to an example embodiment, the route selection circuit 259 isstructured to analyze each of the routes (e.g., the first route 310, thesecond route 320, the third route 330, etc.) extending between thecurrent location 302 and the desired destination 304 based on the staticinformation and the dynamic information (e.g., the route parameters, thetraffic information, the weather information, etc.) along each route todetermine an expected fuel efficiency along each route (e.g.,independent of time, etc.). The route selection circuit 259 may then bestructured to provide the analysis of the plurality of routes to thevehicle controller 150 of the respective vehicle 20 for display to anoperator thereof (e.g., a route recommendation, etc.). The operator maythen provide a selection of a desired route of travel for the vehicle20. The adjustment circuit 258 may then be structured to provideadjustment commands, as described herein, as the vehicle 20 travelsalong the selected route. In some embodiments, the adjustment circuit258, the route selection circuit 259, and/or the GPS system 230 arestructured to adaptively recommend new routes that may improve the fuelefficiency of the respective vehicle 20 as the respective vehicle 20travels along a current route.

In some embodiments, the adjustment circuit 258 and the route selectioncircuit 259 are structured to facilitate performing the route selectionand adjustment operations ahead of time and then transmit a “routeadjustment profile” to the vehicle controller 150. The route adjustmentprofile may then be stored by the vehicle controller 150 for futurepotential implementation (i.e., the adjustments are received prior towhen they are determined to be implemented). In such embodiments,network connectivity is less likely to restrict implementation of theoff-site determined adjustments. For example, once the route is known,the adjustment circuit 258 may be structured to determine adjustmentsthroughout the route (e.g., based on current static and dynamicparameters along the route, based on past static and dynamic parametersalong the route, etc.) and then provision a “route adjustment profile”right away so that even if there are points along the route wherenetwork connectivity is lost, it is immaterial, and the vehiclecontroller 150 can, therefore, implement the adjustments or recommendthe adjustments to the operator absent a connection to the server 250.

Referring now to FIG. 9 , a method 900 for implementing an adjustment toa component of a vehicle is shown according to an example embodiment. Inone example embodiment, method 900 may be implemented with the vehicle20, the vehicle controller 150, and the server 250 of FIGS. 1-7 . Assuch, method 900 may be described with regard to FIGS. 1-7 .

At step 902, a remote server (e.g., the server 250, etc.) is structuredto receive operating parameters regarding one or more components of avehicle (e.g., the vehicle 20, etc.) from a vehicle controller (e.g.,the vehicle controller 150, acquired by the sensors 140, etc.). Theoperating parameters may include parameters such as an engine speed, anengine torque, a vehicle speed, a transmission gear selection, anexhaust aftertreatment system temperature, and/or a battery systemtemperature. At step 904, the remote server is structured to retrievestatic information and/or dynamic information regarding one or moreparameters ahead of the vehicle (e.g., from the route look-ahead system210, the weather system 220, the GPS system 230, etc.). The staticinformation may include road parameters. The road parameters may includea speed limit, a road grade, and/or a road curvature ahead of thevehicle. The dynamic information may include weather informationregarding weather (e.g., rain, snow, temperature, humidity, etc.) and/ortraffic information regarding traffic (e.g., traffic patterns, trafficjams, traffic speeds, etc.) ahead of the vehicle.

At step 906, the remote server is structured to determine an adjustmentfor at least one of the one or more components of the vehicle based on(i) the operating parameters and (ii) the static information and/or thedynamic information. At step 908, the remote server is structured toprovide an instruction to the vehicle controller regarding theadjustment. The instruction includes a command for the vehiclecontroller to implement the adjustment to the at least one of the one ormore components of the vehicle. At step 910, the vehicle controller isstructured to automatically implement the adjustment to the at least oneof the one or more components of the vehicle in response to receivingthe command from the remote server.

As an example, the adjustment may include an operating setpoint for theat least one of the one or more components of the vehicle to reducevehicle speed based on the traffic information to increase fuelefficiency without increasing total trip time. As another example, theadjustment may include an operating setpoint for the at least one of theone or more components of the vehicle to maintain a temperature of atleast one of (i) an exhaust aftertreatment system or (ii) a batterysystem of the vehicle in a target temperature range.

In some embodiments, the remote server is further structured to receivelocation information (e.g., via the operator I/O device 130, the GPSsystem 230, etc.) regarding a current location (e.g., the currentlocation 302, etc.) and a destination (e.g., the desired destination304, etc.) of the vehicle. In such embodiments, the remote server may befurther structured to analyze a plurality of routes between the currentlocation and the destination of the vehicle based on the staticinformation and/or the dynamic information to determine an expected fuelefficiency along each of the plurality of routes. The remote server maythen provide the analysis of the plurality of routes to the vehiclecontroller for display to and/or selection by an operator of thevehicle.

Referring now to FIG. 10 , a method 1000 for implementing an adjustmentto a component of a vehicle is shown according to an example embodiment.In one example embodiment, method 1000 may be implemented with thevehicle 20, the vehicle controller 150, and the server 250 of FIGS. 1-7. As such, method 1000 may be described with regard to FIGS. 1-7 .

At step 1002, a remote server (e.g., the server 250, etc.) is structuredto receive operating parameters regarding one or more components of avehicle (e.g., the vehicle 20, etc.) from a vehicle controller (e.g.,the vehicle controller 150, acquired by the sensors 140, etc.). Theoperating parameters may include parameters such as an engine speed, anengine torque, a vehicle speed, a transmission gear selection, anexhaust aftertreatment system temperature, and/or a battery systemtemperature. At step 904, the remote server is structured to retrieve oracquire static information and/or dynamic information regarding one ormore parameters ahead of the vehicle (e.g., from the route look-aheadsystem 210, the weather system 220, the GPS system 230, etc.). Thestatic information may include road parameters. The road parameters mayinclude a speed limit, a road grade, and/or a road curvature ahead ofthe vehicle. The dynamic information may include weather informationregarding weather (e.g., rain, snow, temperature, humidity, road surfaceconditions, etc.) and/or traffic information regarding traffic (e.g.,traffic patterns, traffic jams, traffic speeds, etc.) ahead of thevehicle.

At step 1006, the remote server is structured to determine an adjustmentfor at least one of the one or more components of the vehicle based on(i) the operating parameters and (ii) the static information and/or thedynamic information. At step 1008, the remote server is structured toprovide an instruction to the vehicle controller regarding theadjustment. The instruction includes a command for the vehiclecontroller to display an indication of the adjustment for the at leastone of the one or more components of the vehicle. At step 1010, thevehicle controller is structured to display the indication of theadjustment for the at least one of the one or more components on adisplay device (e.g., of the operator I/O device 130, etc.). At step1012, the vehicle controller is structured to receive approval from anoperator of the vehicle to implement the adjustment. At step 1014, thevehicle controller is structured to implement the adjustment to the atleast one of the one or more components of the vehicle in response toreceiving the approval from the operator of the vehicle. In someembodiments, the method 1000 does not includes step 1012 or step 1014,rather the operator of the vehicle may manually implement the adjustmentafter being notified of the recommended adjustment.

As an example, the adjustment may include an operating setpoint for theat least one of the one or more components of the vehicle to reducevehicle speed based on the traffic information to increase fuelefficiency without increasing total trip time. As another example, theadjustment may include an operating setpoint for the at least one of theone or more components of the vehicle to maintain a temperature of atleast one of (i) an exhaust aftertreatment system or (ii) a batterysystem of the vehicle in a target temperature range.

In some embodiments, the remote server is further structured to receivelocation information (e.g., via the operator I/O device 130, the GPSsystem 230, etc.) regarding a current location (e.g., the currentlocation 302, etc.) and a destination (e.g., the desired destination304, etc.) of the vehicle. In such embodiments, the remote server may befurther structured to analyze a plurality of routes between the currentlocation and the destination of the vehicle based on the staticinformation and/or the dynamic information to determine an expected fuelefficiency along each of the plurality of routes. The remote server maythen provide the analysis of the plurality of routes to the vehiclecontroller for display to and/or selection by the operator of thevehicle.

It should be understood that no claim element herein is to be construedunder the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element isexpressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

For the purpose of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joiningor linking of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Suchjoining may be stationary or moveable in nature. For example, apropeller shaft of an engine “coupled” to a transmission represents amoveable coupling. Such joining may be achieved with the two members orthe two members and any additional intermediate members. For example,circuit A communicably “coupled” to circuit B may signify that thecircuit A communicates directly with circuit B (i.e., no intermediary)or communicates indirectly with circuit B (e.g., through one or moreintermediaries).

While various circuits with particular functionality are shown in FIGS.6 and 7 , it should be understood that the vehicle controller 150 and/orthe server 250 may include any number of circuits for completing thefunctions described herein. For example, the activities andfunctionalities of the various circuits may be combined in multiplecircuits or as a single circuit. Additional circuits with additionalfunctionality may also be included. Further, it should be understoodthat the vehicle controller 150 and/or the server 250 may furthercontrol other activity beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

As mentioned above and in one configuration, the “circuits” may beimplemented in machine-readable medium for execution by various types ofprocessors, such as the processor 152 and/or the processor 252. Anidentified circuit of executable code may, for instance, comprise one ormore physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may, forinstance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function.Nevertheless, the executables of an identified circuit need not bephysically located together, but may comprise disparate instructionsstored in different locations which, when joined logically together,comprise the circuit and achieve the stated purpose for the circuit.Indeed, a circuit of computer readable program code may be a singleinstruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed overseveral different code segments, among different programs, and acrossseveral memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identifiedand illustrated herein within circuits, and may be embodied in anysuitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure.The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may bedistributed over different locations including over different storagedevices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signalson a system or network.

While the term “processor” is briefly defined above, it should beunderstood that the term “processor” and “processing circuit” are meantto be broadly interpreted. In this regard and as mentioned above, the“processor” may be implemented as one or more general-purposeprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother suitable electronic data processing components structured toexecute instructions provided by memory. The one or more processors maytake the form of a single core processor, multi-core processor (e.g., adual core processor, triple core processor, quad core processor, etc.),microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more processors maybe external to the apparatus, for example the one or more processors maybe a remote processor (e.g., a cloud based processor). Alternatively oradditionally, the one or more processors may be internal and/or local tothe apparatus. In this regard, a given circuit or components thereof maybe disposed locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computingsystem, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server such as acloud based server). To that end, a “circuit” as described herein mayinclude components that are distributed across one or more locations.

It should be noted that although the diagrams herein may show a specificorder and composition of method steps, it is understood that the orderof these steps may differ from what is depicted. For example, two ormore steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence.Also, some method steps that are performed as discrete steps may becombined, steps being performed as a combined step may be separated intodiscrete steps, the sequence of certain processes may be reversed orotherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete processes may bealtered or varied. The order or sequence of any element or apparatus maybe varied or substituted according to alternative embodiments.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.Such variations will depend on the machine-readable media and hardwaresystems chosen and on designer choice. It is understood that all suchvariations are within the scope of the disclosure.

The foregoing description of embodiments has been presented for purposesof illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive orto limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modificationsand variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may beacquired from this disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and describedin order to explain the principals of the disclosure and its practicalapplication to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. Other substitutions, modifications, changesand omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions andarrangement of the embodiments without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure as expressed in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a remoteserver, operating parameters regarding one or more components of avehicle from a vehicle controller of the vehicle, the one or morecomponents including at least one of an exhaust aftertreatment system ora battery system, the operating parameters including a temperature;retrieving, by the remote server, static information and dynamicinformation regarding one or more parameters ahead of the vehicle, thestatic information including road parameters, the dynamic informationincluding at least one of weather information or traffic information;performing, by the remote server, an adjustment analysis that includesdetermining an adjustment for at least one of the one or more componentsof the vehicle based on the operating parameters, the staticinformation, and the dynamic information indicating that an upcomingevent will cause the temperature of the at least one of the one or morecomponents to operate outside of a target temperature range, wherein allof the adjustment analysis is performed by the remote server and notperformed by the vehicle controller; and providing, by the remoteserver, a command to the vehicle controller to implement the adjustmentto the at least one of the one or more components of the vehicle suchthat the vehicle controller preemptively adjusts the temperature of theat least one of the one or more components in advance of the upcomingevent to maintain the temperature within the target temperature range asthe upcoming event is traversed.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: theroad parameters include at least one of a speed limit, a road grade, ora road curvature ahead of the vehicle; and the operating parametersinclude at least one of an engine speed, an engine torque, a vehiclespeed, a transmission gear selection, an exhaust aftertreatment systemtemperature, or a battery system temperature.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising displaying, by the vehicle controller on a displaydevice of the vehicle, an indication of the adjustment for the at leastone of the one or more components to an operator, wherein the operatorcan manually override the adjustment.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving, by the remote server, location informationregarding a current location and a destination of the vehicle;analyzing, by the remote server, a plurality of routes between thecurrent location and the destination of the vehicle based on the staticinformation and the dynamic information to determine an expected fuelefficiency along each of the plurality of routes; and providing, by theremote server, the analysis of the plurality of routes to the vehiclecontroller for display to an operator of the vehicle.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the remote server, a selectedroute of travel for the vehicle; and transmitting, by the remote server,a route adjustment profile to the vehicle controller for the selectedroute; wherein the route adjustment profile includes a plurality ofadjustments for implementation along the selected route; and wherein theroute adjustment profile facilitates the vehicle controller inimplementing each of the plurality of adjustments at an appropriate timealong the selected route or recommending each of the plurality ofadjustments at the appropriate time along the selected route absent aconnection to the remote server at the appropriate time.
 6. A controlsystem for a vehicle, the control system comprising: a vehiclecontroller installable on the vehicle; and a remote server; wherein: thevehicle controller is structured to acquire an operating parameterregarding a component of the vehicle, the component including at leastone of an exhaust aftertreatment system or a battery system, theoperating parameter including a temperature; the vehicle controller isstructured to transmit the operating parameter to the remote server; theremote server is structured to acquire static information regarding aroad parameter ahead of the vehicle and dynamic information regarding atleast one of weather information or traffic information ahead of thevehicle; the remote server is structured to perform an adjustmentanalysis to determine an adjustment for the component of the vehiclebased on the operating parameter, the static information, and thedynamic information indicating that an upcoming event will cause thetemperature of the component to operate outside of a target temperaturerange, wherein all of the adjustment analysis is performed by the remoteserver and not performed by the vehicle controller; and the remoteserver is structured to transmit a command to the vehicle controller toimplement the adjustment to the component of the vehicle such that thevehicle controller preemptively adjusts the temperature of the componentin advance of the upcoming event to maintain the temperature within thetarget temperature range as the upcoming event is traversed.
 7. Thecontrol system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle controller is structuredto display an indication of the adjustment for the component on adisplay device of the vehicle, and wherein an operator can manuallyoverride the adjustment.
 8. The control system of claim 6, wherein theremote server is structured to: acquire location information regarding acurrent location and a destination of the vehicle; analyze a pluralityof routes between the current location and the destination of thevehicle based on the static information and the dynamic information todetermine an expected fuel efficiency along each of the plurality ofroutes; and transmit the analysis of the plurality of routes to thevehicle controller for display on a display device of the vehicle. 9.The control system of claim 6, wherein: the remote server is structuredto receive a selected route of travel for the vehicle; the remote serveris structured to transmit a route adjustment profile to the vehiclecontroller for the selected route; the route adjustment profile includesa plurality of adjustments for implementation along the selected route;and the route adjustment profile facilitates the vehicle controller inimplementing each of the plurality of adjustments at an appropriate timealong the selected route or recommending each of the plurality ofadjustments at the appropriate time along the selected route absent aconnection to the remote server at the appropriate time.
 10. A methodcomprising: acquiring, by a remote server, an operating parameterregarding a component of a vehicle, the component including at least oneof an exhaust aftertreatment system or a battery system, the operatingparameter including a temperature; acquiring, by the remote server,static information regarding a road parameter ahead of the vehicle;acquiring, by the remote server, dynamic information regarding at leastone of weather information or traffic information; determining, by theremote server, an adjustment for the component of the vehicle based onthe operating parameter, the static information, and the dynamicinformation indicating that an upcoming event will cause the temperatureof the component to operate outside of a target temperature range; andtransmitting, by the remote server, a command to the vehicle controllerto implement the adjustment to the component of the vehicle such thatthe vehicle controller preemptively adjusts the temperature of thecomponent in advance of the upcoming event to maintain the temperaturewithin the target temperature range as the upcoming event is traversed.